Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

January 24 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
probe, Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter (no follow-on funds), large solid
motor project, Atlas-Agena combination, and new launch vehicle devel-
opment. $t10-$1OO million were placed in President’s Contingency Fund
pending decision on development of Nerva nuclear propulsion system.
Major portions of DOD’S space budget would be spent on: (1) Manned
Orbiting Laboratory (~0~)-$430 million; (2) Titan 111-C launch
vehicle; and (3) military comsats. Most of ESSA’S funds would support
increased activity on satellite sensors and systems in support of World
Weather Watch and improved techniques for weather forecasts, river
and flood prediction, and other warning services. (Text, NYT, 1/25/67,
20-23; Tech Wk, 1/30/67,1&33; Av Wk, 1/30/67,23-38)
Briefing on NASA FY 1968 budget was held at NASA Hq.
NASA Administrator James Webb said: “. . . I believe that on this
budget we can build an excellent foundation for the work that we as a
nation will need to do in 1970 and beyond.
“I believe it is a balanced program that makes the best use of the
resources that we have created since 1958. I believe it includes those
items that enable the Congress and the country to clearly see and judge
the issues which are basic to our future in space.
“I believe it assumes success. That is, that it is a minimum budget for
the work that is required and does not provide for losses of stages or
for unexpected catastrophes such as are always a possibility in this
program.
“. . . finally, I believe that this budget indicates that we have proven
in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that the space
capability of this nation can be developed, that this job he is putting in
this budget can be done, and I believe it indicates clearly that he believes
it is important that we continue to develop our national space ca-
pability. . . ?’ (Transcript)
* Six Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets launched from KSC carried 134lb
Marshall/Univ. of Michigan Probe (Mump) instrumented payloads to
altitudes up to 206 mi (331 km) into the thermosphere. Rockets and
equipment functioned satisfactorily and data-including atmosphere
density and temperature measurements and ion and electron density
measurements-were telemetered to ground; no recovery was attempted.
Objective of program was to obtain additional data needed to develop
a more accurate model of earth’s upper atmosphere for orbital-lifetime
and space-vehicle-dynamics analyses. (Marshall Star, 2/1/67, 4; W
Post, 1/26/67, A5)
a Dr. James I. Vette, staff scientist at Aerospace Corp.’s Space Science Lab.,
was named Director of the National Space Science Data Center ( NSSDC) -
a $1,491,600 central facility for collection, organization, storage, re-
trieval, and dissemination of space science data obtained from satellites,
sounding rockets, balloons, and high-altitude aircraft-nearing comple-
tion at GSFC. (NASA Release 67-6)
New members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics were
named: Reps. Jack Brinkley (D-Ga.) ; Bob Eckhardt (D-Tex.) ; Larry
Winn, Jr. (R-Kan.) ; Guy Vander Jagt (R-Mich.) ; Jerry L. Pettis (R-
Calif.) ; Donald E. Lukens (R-Ohio) ; and John E. Hunt (R-N.J.).
(NASA LAR VI/& 11 ; Committee Ofc.)
USAF Avionics Lab., Wright-Patterson AFB, was conducting experiments
with 6-mi-long laser beam to learn how atmospheric conditions affect
laser communications, AFSC announced. Experimental results to date
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